Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “oblique” come from?

Oblique comes from Middle French oblique, derived from Latin obliquus, meaning slanting or sidelong.

oblique (English): Not erect or perpendicular; not parallel to, or...

Definitions

  1. Not erect or perpendicular; not parallel to, or...

Ancestry of “oblique”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchoblique—
2Latinobliquussidelong, slanting, awry, oblique
3Latinob-towards; against
4Latinobolusobolus
5Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
6Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
7Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
8Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
9Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing

Words derived from “oblique”

  • obliquely
  • obliqueness
  • oblique mark
  • oblique stroke
  • oblique dash
  • deobliquing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →